Urbanization: A Significant Environmental Force

Humans have become a significant environmental force over the last 10,000 years. With the advent
of agriculture 8,000 years ago, we began to change the face of the land1, and the industrial
revolution began to affect the atmosphere. Also, the recent increase in world population has
expanded the impact of our agricultural and economic activities, but population growth conceals
what may be an even more important difference between humans and the environment interaction.
While the world population is doubling, the urban population is tripling worldwide. In the coming
years more than half the world's population will live in urban areas (see Figure 1).

Figure1
Urban and rural population, 19502030

Fuente: Naciones Unidas, World

Urbanization Prospects: The 2003
Revision (2004).

The level and growth of urbanization differ considerably by region (see Figure 2). Latin American
countries have the highest proportion of its population in urban areas, but South and East Asia are
likely to show the most rapid urban growth in the next 30 years. Almost all future population growth
will occur in cities and capitals, and hopefully both the increase in world population and land
redistribution affecting natural systems and the interaction between the population and the urban
environment.

Figure2
Population that lives in Urban
region

Fuente: Naciones Unidas, World

Urbanization Prospects: The 2003
Revision (2004).

The best figures on trends in global urbanization tend to come from the Population Division of the
United Nations and the World Bank3, but the United Nations warns users that the data are generally
inaccurate because the definition of "urban" varies from one country to another. Also, in the past,
projections of urbanization often overestimated future rates of growth, so it is important to manage
the data carefully to derive definitive conclusions.
The Dinamic of urbanization
In 1800 only about 2% of the world population lived in urban areas and that in itself was somewhat
surprising. Until a century ago, urban areas were among the most unhealthy places to live. The
increased population density in urban areas resulted in the rapid spread of infectious diseases, so
mortality rates have historically been higher in the cities than in rural areas. The only way urban
areas remained in existence until recently was by the continual migration of rural population to
them.

In just 200 years, the world's urban population has increased from 2% to almost 50% of the world
population. The most striking examples of urbanization in the world are the super-cities of 10 or
more million people. In 1975 there were only four, but today in 2000 were 18 and by 2015, the UN
estimates to be 225, although much of the future growth will not take place in these huge crowds of
people, but in small towns and medium size worldwide.
The growth in urban areas is due both to increased migration to the cities and to the fertility of the
urban population. Much of the shift to cities takes place by the desire of rural populations to exploit
the advantages that urban areas offer more opportunities as education, health care and services
such as recreational. The urban poor have fewer educational opportunities than those who are not
poor, but still have more opportunities than the rural population.
Urban fertility rates, although they are lower than in the rural context in all regions of the world, also
contribute to the growth of the urban population. In urban areas women immigrants from rural areas
have more children than those born in the city. Of course rural migration to urban areas is not
formed by a random set of rural population, but by people who would probably want fewer children,
even if they had been in the field, so probably the effect is exaggerated migration in fertility by
observing the difference in fertility of rural women and migrating to urban areas.
In sub-Saharan Africa urban fertility rates are about 1.5 children less than in rural areas, and in Latin
America the difference is almost 2 children. That is, the global urbanization probably reduces the
population growth, while focusing some of their environmental effects in certain geographic areas
Enviromental effects of the Urbanizations
There is an interaction between urban populations and their environment. People change the
environment through the consumption of food, energy, water and land use, and in turn the urban
ecological pollution affects the health and quality of life of populations in cities.
People living in urban areas have very different consumption profile to residents rurals areas. For
example, urban populations consume much more food, energy, and durable goods than rural
populations. In China, during the 1970s, urban populations consumed more than twice pork rural
populations who raised the puercos11. As economic development progressed, the difference in
consumption was reduced by improving the rural diet, but even so a decade later urban populations
ate 60% more pork than rural areas. Growth in meat consumption is a sign of greater affluence in
Beijing. In India, where many urban residents are vegetarians, increased milk consumption is a
symbol of greater prosperity.
Urban populations not only consume more food but also more durable goods. In the early 1990s,
Chinese households in urban areas were more than twice as likely to have a TV, eight times more
than have a washing machine and 25 times more to have a refrigerator that households rurales12.
This increase in consumption is the result of the labor market, wages and structure of urban
households.
Durable goods generally uses the entire home, instead of a single person, and urban households
are smaller than rural, partly because urban fertility rates are lower, and eventually continue to
shrink in size as their income and education rises. This suggests that the rate of consumption of
durable goods in urban areas is likely to rise above the rate of population growth, and most durable
goods require electricity to operate.
The energy to provide electricity, transportation, cooking and heating capacity is much higher in
urban areas than in rural villages. For example, urban populations have many more cars per capita
than rural. Almost all cars worldwide in 1930 were in the United States. Today there is one car for
every two people in the United States. If so elsewhere, for 2050 we would have 5,300 million cars
worldwide energa13 consuming.
In China coal consumption per capita in cities and towns it is more than three times the one in
rurales14 areas. Comparisons between gross national product (GNP) and the change in global
energy consumption per capita show that there is a direct relationship between the two, but not
necessarily increase at the same ritmo15. As countries move from using noncommercial forms of
energy trade patterns, the relative price of energy products increases. The economies thus become
more efficient as they develop because of advances in technology and changes in consumption.
However, despite such efficiency and new technologies, urbanization of the world population will
increase the added power consumption. And probably the increase in energy consumption will have
negative environmental effects.

Urban consumption of energy helps create heat cores that can change the local meteorological
profile in areas where the wind blows out after going through the cities. This phenomenon is created
because cities radiate heat to the atmosphere at the rate of 15% to 30% less than rural areas. The
combination of increased energy consumption and difference radiation means that cities are
warmer than rural areas (0.6 to 1.3 C) 16 and these nuclei air pollutants trap heat. The mist and
fog are more common. Rainfall is between 5% and 10% higher in the cities, storm water and more
frequent hail, and snow less common.
Urbanization also affects regional ecology greater extent. The regions receiving the wind after
passing through large industrial complexes also recorded higher rainfall, air pollution and number of
days with tormentas17. Urban areas affect not only the weather but also the profile surface runoff
water. Urban areas generally generate more rain, but reduce water seepage and the level of the
water table, which means that runoff occurs more rapidly and no major flooding. The volume of
flood rises, as does the number of floods and pollution of water flowing downstream.
Many of the effects of urban areas on the environment are not necessarily linear. The most
extensive urban areas do not always create more environmental problems; are sometimes small
urban areas that can cause major problems. Much of what determines the magnitude of the
environmental impact is the behavior of the urban population, consumption profile and way of life,
not just his size.
Effects of environmental degradation on health
The urban environment is an important factor in determining the quality of life in urban areas and
the ecological impact of these zones factor. Among urban environmental problems include
inadequate water and sanitation, waste accumulation and pollution industrial18. Unfortunately, it is
expensive to reduce these problems and alleviate its impact on the urban population.
Among the health implications of these environmental problems are respiratory infections, and other
infections and parasitic diseases. Capital costs to build a more environmentally sound infrastructure
(for example, investment in cleaner transport, as a meter) and build more hospitals and clinics are
higher in cities, where wages are paid higher than in areas rural, and the terrain is much more
expensive in cities by competition for space. But not all urban areas have the same kind of health
problems or environmental situation; some researchers suggest that indicators of health problems
such as infant mortality rates are higher in cities that are growing rapidly in others where growth is
more lento19.
Problems in urban environmental policy
Beginning with the 1950s, many cities in developed countries have coped with their environmental
problems. Los Angeles has dramatically reduced air pollution. Many cities that expanded near rivers
have succeeded in cleaning the waters thereof which were contaminated with industrial
development. But at the beginning of their development, cities generally have much wealth to
assign to mitigate urban impact on the environment, and whether the lack of resources is
accompanied by ineffective governments, can the developing city take many years to reduce the
damage. It is essential to have a strong progress in this regard urban governance, and often it is the
least hay20. Overlapping jurisdictions for water, air, roads, housing and industrial development is a
frustration for the effective management of vital environmental resources. The lack of good
geographic information systems means that many civil servants work blindly. The lack of good
statistics means that many urban indicators that would serve to make informed environmental
decisions not existen21 knowledge.
When there is a strong urban governance, public-private partnerships are becoming more
importantes22 and can help set priorities that are widely shared and therefore come to be
implemented. Some of these public-private partnerships have advocated first deal to environmental
hazards that threaten human health. Attendees at a World Bank conference on environmentally
sustainable development in 1994 concluded that "reduction of soot, dust, lead, microbial diseases
offers opportunities to achieve tangible progress at relatively low cost in relatively short periods of
time "2. 3. But ultimately there are many other urban environmental priorities that produce chronic
problems for people and the environment in the long term, and they also have to be addressed.

Much research needs to be done on the environmental impact of urban areas still has not been
done due to lack of data and funding. Most of the information that exists is nationwide, but the
national research is too little detail to improve environmental conditions in urban areas, so you need
to do research and gather data locally to provide local governments the information they need to
make decisions. Certainly the members of the next generation, most of whom live in urban areas,
will judge us based on whether we are doing to protect its successful urban ecology questions.
They also will want to know if proper research fund to address these issues, and if we use the
results of research wisely.
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By: Barbara Boyle Torrey

Traducted to English: Rubn Gianella